Initial Bonding Time

The first moments after a baby is born are precious bonding time. This baby has just made the most amazing transition any (and every) human being has ever made. If you can imagine what the baby must be thinking; he or she is searching for something familiar. At this time the baby is programmed to look for two dark circles; his/her mother’s eyes, and father’s eyes close by and his/her mother’s breasts. Babies know their mother’s and father’s voices. They can smell and taste that this is their mother; their link to anything that they know is right in their parents’ arms. More and more care providers are changing to a style at delivery of immediately placing the baby up on the mother’s chest. There the nurses will dry the baby and stimulate him/her if necessary. Over the next few minutes this little person will be becoming accustomed to light, air, noise, and many other sensations. His/her circulatory system is switching, his/her digestive system is gearing up for its first use. Placing the baby skin to skin will help keep his/her temperature stable. A mother’s core body temperature actually rises by nearly 2 degrees to help keep the baby warm. The skin to skin will help with the baby’s respiration and he/she will be in a good place to try latching and breastfeeding when they are ready, which is usually about 20 minutes after birth. If you are in a hospital the staff will be ready to do all their newborn procedures but you can request they are done after an hour of skin to skin bonding time. With the lighting kept dim watch as the baby opens its eyes wide to gaze all around.  Let these precious moments happen while baby is in your arms if possible.